Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. A majority of the land is a part of the Karakum Desert, which also influences the country's climate. As of 2009, there are over 4.8 million people living in the country, and projected population growth is low as a result of the scarcity of inhabitable land. The country borders the Caspian Sea to the west which is important for transportation purposes. Turkmenistan mainly depends on its exports of agricultural products (cotton, grains), natural gas, and oil for its revenue. The country experienced a 11% growth rate in GDP, which is among the highest in the world following the recession. The country's capital is located at Ashgabat. History The territory of Turkmenistan has been populated since ancient times, as armies from one empire to another decamped on their way to more prosperous territories. Tribes of horse-breeding Turkmen drifted into the territory of Turkmenistan, possibly from the Altay Mountains, and grazed along the outskirts of the Karakum Desert into Persia, Syria, and Anatolia. In the middle of the 11th century, the powerful Turks of the Seljuk Empire concentrated their strength in the territory of Turkmenistan in an attempt to expand into Afghanistan. The empire broke down in the second half of the 12th century, and the Turkmen lost their independence when Genghis Khan took control of the eastern Caspian Sea region on his march west. For the next 7 centuries, the Turkmen people lived under various empires and fought constant intertribal wars. From the 16th century on, Turkmen raiders on horseback preyed on passing caravans, pillaging and taking prisoners for the slave trade. In order to consolidate the Tsarist Empire in Central Asia, and upon the pretext of freeing Russian citizens from slavery, Russia sent forces to Turkmenistan. By 1894 Russia had taken control of Turkmenistan. The October Revolution of 1917 in Russia and subsequent political unrest led to the declaration of the Turkmen Republic as one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union in 1924. Following the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union, Turkmenistan declared its independence on October 27, 1991. After independence, the country reduced foreign isolation and reversed some of the Soviet’s more egocentric and damaging policies. Internet cafes offering free and uncensored Web access opened, compulsory education was extended from nine to ten years and classes in sports and foreign languages were re-introduced into the curriculum, and the government announced plans to open several specialized schools for the arts. Reform for education, health care and pension systems, and government officials were introduced. Geography Turkmenistan has its longest border is with the Caspian Sea. The other borders are with Iran to the south, Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the north, and Kazakhstan to the north. Turkmenistan is slightly larger than California in territory. Turkmenistan's average elevation is 100 to 220 meters above sea level, with its highest point being Mount Ayrybaba (3,137 meters) in the Kugitang Range of the Pamir-Alay chain in the far east, and its lowest point in the Transcaspian Depression (100 kilometers below sea level). Nearly 80 percent of the republic lies within the Turon Depression, which slopes from south to north and from east to west. Turkmenistan's mountains include the Kopetdag Range, which it shares with Iran. The Kopetdag Range is a region characterized by foothills, dry and sandy slopes, mountain plateaus, and steep ravines. The Kopetdag is undergoing tectonic transformation, so the region is threatened by earthquakes. The Krasnovodsk and Üstirt plateaus are the prominent topographical features of northwestern Turkmenistan. A dominant feature of the republic's landscape is the Garagum Desert. Shifting winds create desert mountains that range from two to twenty meters in height and may be several kilometers in length. Chains of such structures are common, as are steep elevations and smooth, concrete-like clay deposits formed by the rapid evaporation of flood waters in the same area for a number of years. Large marshy salt flats, formed by capillary action in the soil, exist in many depressions, including the Kara Shor. The Sundukly Desert west of the Amu Darya is the southernmost extremity of the Qizilqum Desert, most of which lies in Uzbekistan to the northeast. Politics Although the constitution declares the country to be a secular democracy and presidential republic, Turkmenistan is an authoritarian state that was dominated by its first president, Saparmyrat Niyazov, who retained his monopoly on political power until his death on December 21, 2006. The Halk Maslahaty (People's Council) decided on December 26 to select Niyazov's successor through public elections on February 11, 2007. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov became president through a public election in which the population eagerly participated, even though the election did not meet international standards. Government efforts continue to focus on fostering centralized state control. The president controls the parliament and the judiciary. The civilian authorities maintain effective control of the security forces. Neither independent political activity nor opposition candidates are allowed in Turkmenistan. The Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (DPT) is the only legal political party. Political gatherings are illegal unless government-sanctioned, and the citizens of Turkmenistan do not have the means to change their government democratically. While the constitution provides for freedom of the press, there is virtually no freedom of the press or of association since the government has full control of all domestic media and restricts foreign publications. Corruption in the government is severe since a majority of the power is concentrated in the president who does not wish to see the power diminish. Economy Turkmenistan is an important supplier of raw materials, especially natural gas, petroleum products, and raw cotton. The estimated 2009 harvest is about 823,000 tons. Cotton production also plays a large part in the country's economy. In recent years, however, the crop yield has been steadily declining because of poor irrigation and management practices. Turkmenistan has a shortage of hard currency reserves. The country's foreign debt has been estimated at $5 billion. The private sector remains underdeveloped, with activity primarily in the food processing, consumer trade, and services sectors. In addition, Turkmenistan's true statistics are closely held state secrets, and published GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins of error. Culture Turkmenistan has a unique and remarkable history. Traditionally a nomadic people, Turkmen are descended from several separate tribes or clans, each speaking a different dialect and with its own style of dress. Turkmen are renowned for their lavish hospitality, respect for seniors, honesty and sincere generosity. Their values include friendship, love, and relations with their neighbors. Turkmenistan are greatly influenced by the Western culture in terms of their dress,attitude and lifestyle. The dress of the Turkmen women consists of a long wear in vibrant colors; head scarves are also used. The wear for men consists of hats made from the skin of sheep and red robes which is worn over a white inner shirt. Marriage in takes place usually within the tribe with the consent of parents. Religion The large majority of population is Sunni Muslim. The constitution provides for freedom of religion and does not establish a state religion; however, in practice, the government continues to monitor all forms of religious expression. Amendments to the law on religious organizations adopted in March 2004 reduced membership requirements from 500 to 5 for registration purposes. All groups must register in order to gain legal status with the government. Until 2004 the only religions that were registered successfully were Sunni Islam and Russian Orthodox Christianity. As of August 2010, 11 other religious groups were registered. The government limits the activities of unregistered religious congregations by prohibiting them from gathering publicly, proselytizing, and disseminating religious materials. Tourism Ancient Merv, Mary The archaeological remains of Ancient Merv lie within Turkmenistan’s Murghab River delta, surrounded by the Karakum Desert. The State Historical and Cultural Park of Ancient Merv is an internationally important archaeological site which has been settled for over 4,000 years and urbanized for the last 2,500 years. The core area of the State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv" encompasses over 1,200 hectares, making it the largest archaeological park in Central Asia, and it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Across the vast flat landscape lie multiple cities, with nearly 1,000 hectares enclosed within the various city walls, plus extensive sprawling suburban areas. Kunya-Urgench, Koneurgench Urgench was the capital of the Khorezm region, part of the Achaemenid Empire. Kunya-Urgench contains a series of monuments mainly from the 11th to 16th centuries, including a mosque, the gates of a caravanserai, fortresses, mausoleums and a 60-m high minaret. The monuments testify to outstanding achievements in architecture and craftsmanship whose influence reached Iran and Afghanistan, and later the architecture of the Mogul Empire of 16th-century India.